


Fools of Fluttering Hearts

by seamonster (orphan_account)



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Valentine's Day, cute I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-01
Updated: 2012-03-25
Packaged: 2017-10-31 22:47:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/349179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/seamonster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While everyone else is up in a tissy about Cupid's Heart Day, John is just content to have a normal video chat date with his boyfriend.</p><p>Dave, however, is not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Plan

**Author's Note:**

> I may have stole some lyrics from Neon Trees, because I was sick when I wrote this; therefore my brain was not functioning at full capacity.  
> This was also originally supposed to just be one chapter, but, I think there's going to be two. It's also really late in regards to Valentine's Day itself, but I'm a slow writer /sobs.  
> Anyway, enjoy?

"So what are you and Dave doing for Valentine's Day?"

  
John lifted his nose from it being buried in his Calculus textbook, his homework spread out on his desk around his computer. The monitor in front of him had a video chat window open with none other than his favorite ecto-sister, who he actually thought of as a biological sister by now.

  
"Huh?" he responded quite eloquently.

  
Jade made a scoffing noise, kind of rolling her eyes. At least, he thought she rolled her eyes, it was hard to tell because she was apparently in some sort of tent in the middle of, like, Papua New Guinea or something. Her satellite connection was suffering in quality. "You, Dave, Valentine's Day? You know, that absolutely adorable holiday where people give each other a lot of candy and then they make out."

  
John had to snort at her description, ignoring how his cheeks warmed just the tiniest bit. "How do you even know Valentine's Day is coming up, I thought you were out exploring undiscovered lands? Are you carrying a calander around with you?"

  
"Nope!~ Rose was complaining about it. Apparently her mother got her a reservation at some wicked expensive restruant-type shindig, just in case she wanted to take a date out for the holiday. Rose said she's going to dress up in the nicest dress she owns and , day of, ask her mother to be her date."

  
That had John snort-chuckling over the edge of his book. "They're never going to stop are they?"

  
"Probably not. But Hey! Don't even think you can distract me from my original question. What are you and Dave's plans?"

  
"Jade," John sighed just a bit, actually putting his textbook down to stare into his webcam, "we don't really have any actual plans."

  
"What? Why not?"

  
"Gee, maybe because we still live in two different states?"

  
"Hey, don't get mouthy with me, mister!"

  
John still gave a slight chuckle, despite his sister's stern voice. "We agreed to have something in the ways of a video chat date, though I don't really see how it's going to be much different from our normal video chats. But that's all we can really do."

  
"But that's sad! There's supposed to be candy! And making out! John, how can I live a cliche, average youth romance vicariously through you if you guys never do anything romantic or fun?"

  
"Wow, Jade, thanks for punching me in the feelings."

  
"Oh, you know what I mean!"

  
Since he was clearly not going to be getting any of his homework done right this moment, John finally put his work with everything else on his desk, knocking his glasses up to rub at his eyes. "It's not like Houstan is down the road or anything, and plane tickets are ridiculously expensive."

  
He readjusted his glasses after he was done, staring back up at the webcam again. "And it's just this last year, because next year, we'll be in the same state, in the same college, and hopefully in the same dorm or apartment thingy. So I promise, we'll do something both romantic and fun then for your vicarious enjoyment."

  
"You better, or I will be forced to fly in and teach you guys how to do it right. I know a thing or two about dates now, John, Karkat taught me well."

  
"Oh God."

  
It was at that exact moment that John's Skype blipped with a notification: turntechGodhead was now online :)

  
"Welp, gotta go."

  
"What?"

  
"Sorry, sis, we'll finish this conversation later, I promise. How about tonight on Pesterchum, if you get any signal in the middle of uncharted forest."

  
"John, are you ditching me to talk to-"

  
"Later!"

  
It was no sooner had John ended the chat with Jade that a blip told him turntechGodhead was messaging him. He pretty much ignored the typed out 'sup' and just hit call. After only a few moments, a completely different, and less pixel mutalated, video feed occupied his screen. And a smooth voice filtered in over his speakers.

  
"'Sup."

  
John grinned near immediately, "hey."

  
"What's goin' on, Egbert?"

  
Eugh, why did this always make him feel stupidly happy? Everytime that little pixel window came up, showing a blond in black glasses and wearing some variant of a red shirt, the pace of his heartbeat just sped while the silly little muscle fluttered around in his chest.

  
"Not much, trying to do my homework."

  
"Of course you are, like the good little teacher's pet."

  
"Dave! I am not a teacher's pet!"

  
"Sure you aren't. Whoa. Say, Egbert, care to explain why Harley is flipping her shit at me?"

  
Reaching to retrieve his textbook once more, John gave a half-snort. "I might have hung up on her to call you."

  
"Oh, be still my heart, John. Such words may make me swoon."

  
"Don't let your brother hear that, he'll make you a fainting couch out of smuppets."

  
"Ew. Rude. Gross."

  
The following three hours followed much of the same pattern as they always did. John strangly found it easier to work on his homework when he was talking to Dave, as opposed to anyone else. He sat at his desk, crunching numbers in his fancy-ass calculator, just listening to Dave talk. Because Dave would just talk. It never really followed any flow of normal conversation, because Dave usually surfed the web while John worked. He'd make off-handed comments about whatever celebrity gossip forum he 'ironically' browsed, compare vintage sneakers to off-brand faux vintage sneakers, and curse colorfully whenever he was in a bid war for some sort of new, weird, preserved dead thing. And, of course, their conversations were peppered with music, whatever Dave was currently working on or had just finished. Or even just something he'd found online that had made him flip his shit.

It was all so comforting to John, the barely concealed Texan drawl. Sometimes he could even pretend Dave was in the room with him. Eugh, he could hardly wait for that to be a real thing.

  
"Done!" John cried victoriously, slapping his Economics textbook down on is desk on top of his Calculus one.

  
"About damn time. A man could get tired of listening to his own voice. Not me, of course."

  
"Of course," John hummed with a roll of his eyes.

  
"But it is totes your turn now. Bore me with your dweeby, too enthusiastic vocal chords."

  
"Dave, your voice doesn't bore me. It helps me think."

  
"A combination of you being a weirdo and me being awesome."

  
"Awesomely lame."

  
"Ouch. Fine, Egbert. Just for that, you're not getting your Valentine's Day gift."

  
John paused in shuffling papers back into their proper notebooks, looking towards his monitor. "What?" His heart kind of skipped funny, a smile already perking at the corners of his lips. "You got me something? I thought we agreed on not getting each other anything? I didn't get you anything!"

  
"Calm your tits, bro. Doesn't matter now anyway. You've wounded me too deeply, you're not getting it."

  
"Wh-Daaaaave."

  
Through the speakers, one of the Strider's patented John-you-giant-goober chuckles stopped the teen's whining quite effectively. It was the kind of chuckle that brought heat into John's face. "Chill, babe." That softer, completely unironically fond voice helped with that, too.

  
"You'll get your gift, I already mailed it out."

  
"But why did you get me one? I don't know what to get you-"

  
"Nope, nipping that right there in the butt. John, you don't have to get me anything, seriously."

  
"But you got me something, against our agreement I might add."

  
"Hey, I was all about honoring our little anti-gift statement, content with the idea of just getting to see your derpy, happy face day of. But when I saw this, it wasn't really something I could pass up on. Sorry."

  
John pursed his lips together, eyes narrowing on the screen from behind his glasses.

  
"Deal with it, John. It already happened, there's no stopping it now. And let the record state that I am not actually sorry."

  
"Right next to where it states that you're a cheater who cheatily cheats on premade agreements."

  
"Yes, I am the cheater, it is me."

  
"Admitting you have a problem is the first step. I am proud of you."

  
"Hi, my name is Dave Strider and I'm a smile-aholic."

  
"What?" The word was drenched in his chuckle.

  
"I have this boyfriend, y'see. He's a complete and total dork, but when he smiles it's like, like a thousands suns, all shining at once. It makes me wanna be the only one, left in his world when his day is done."

  
John's face flushed pretty heavily, fingers slipping when he attempted to slide his books back into his bag. His head snapped up to the screen. "Dave, what-?"

  
"I wanna get close enough to touch his skin, taste the salt on his hand when we're supposed to be asleep, and-"

  
"Dave, stop, please!" He scrambled up from his seat to try and hurriedly turn the volume on his speakers down, hoping to god his dad was not hearing this downstairs.

"Your bro's not even home is he?" Oh god his face was boiling.

  
"Ch, course not, else I would not be saying this shit out loud."

  
"Then let's pretend he is. Because my head is going to explode if you keep going."

  
"Aight, aight, you can untwist your panties, I'll stop."

  
"Thank you."

  
John sat back down in his relief, but perked a brow at the following silence. "Dave?" he leaned up again to reinstate the previous level of volume and found he could hear the sound of the other teen typing, which he could also see him doing in the little window he never really spent much time looking at. "What are you doing?"

  
"Shit's good, m'writing it down so I don't forget it."

  
Despite accomplishing an impressive Facepalm x2 Combo, his heart still fluttered again.

  
\-----

 

So, John's entire high school was in an excited uproar. It just so happened that Valentine's Day this year was falling on a Friday, and there was this special double feature going on at the movie theatre. [insert nic cage romcom here] and [insert machanahy(?) romcom here], it was like a romcom version of John's dream come true. Despite them both being romance films, he'd still wanted to go, but...  
Well, from the looks of it, pretty much everyone from school was going, as couples. John didn't want people making fun of him for going by himself. Besides, he could just rent the movies and watch them at home. Maybe vid-chat watch them with Dave. Actually, that sounded like a great idea.  
John snuck his phone out of his pocket in the lunch room, opening his Pesterchum app. Predicatably, Dave was already online. John had to wonder if Dave ever actually even went to school. He'd better, they're supposed to go to college together.

  
-turntechGodhead[TG] began pestering ectoBiologist[EB] at 11:37-

  
TG: egbert what is this  
TG: arent you at school  
TG: you never log on while youre at school  
TG: who is this and what have you done with john  
TG: wait  
TG: youre not sick are you  
EB: what? no, i'm fine.  
EB: and speak for youself, aren't you supposed to be at school, too?  
TG: i have no idea what youre talking about  
EB: yeah right you don't.  
EB: but whatever, i just got a great idea!  
TG: oh no  
TG: egbert please  
TG: remember what happened last time  
TG: i barely recovered  
EB: oh my god, shut up!  
EB: and i mean seriously, it's a great idea.  
TG: fine derpbert  
TG: hit me with this nugget  
TG: what is this golden egg that your goose brain layed down  
EB: you, me, webcams, and two of the greatest love stories ever filmed, tomorrow.  
EB: how does that sound?  
TG: these two greatest love stories  
TG: they wouldnt happen to star one god awful actor named nic cage would they  
TG: nevermind not sure why i am even asking  
TG: this is coming from you so it should just be automatically implied  
TG: because all derpberts think that a sweaty mulleted beast is the epitome of romance  
EB: only one of the films has nic cage in it!  
EB: and it's not even con air, so there!  
EB: but seriously, dave, sound good?  
EB: i mean, if that's too cheesey we can just stick with our normal, pre-planned edate.  
EB: that'd totally be cool  
TG: actually john  
TG: that does sound good  
TG: really good  
TG: i want nothing more than to make fun of shitty romance movies with you on cupids very own holiday

  
John was already smiling softly at his phone, which he was hiding by his knee under the edge of the lunchroom table. But he had to bite his lip to keep from outright grinning like an idiot at that last bit. Ha! Take that, you snooty, gooey couples. John Egbert doesn't need to go on a cliche date to the movies like the rest of you to have a romantic holiday.

  
TG: but i have some bad news

  
....Well crap.

  
EB: what?  
TG: yeah about out vidchat date tomorrow  
EB: oh god, what?  
TG: due to a harmless round of strifing bro may or may not have accidentally or not so accidentally took my webcam clean off of my monitor  
EB: ...what?  
TG: and it went for a dive out of my window  
TG: but before you get your derpy little head all turned about i have a solution  
TG: i can go get on my bros computer  
TG: his webcam is built in otherwise i would just take it but  
TG: yeah our date on my end is going to be in the living room  
TG: where bro will probably creep on us but it cant be helped  
TG: sorry  
EB: oh no! dave, you don't have to apologize!  
EB: that's totally not your fault, dude.  
EB: but your bro should really try to be more careful, shouldn't he?  
EB: i mean, really, why were you guys strifing in your bedroom? that just seems like a silly idea from the start.  
TG: okay its not silly egbert  
TG: its me getting the drop on him when he thought he was getting the drop on me  
TG: we came out in a draw i nearly kicked his ass  
TG: it was beautiful  
EB: i am so proud of you.  
TG: damn right you are  
EB: but really, dave, it's fine. i mean, as long as i get to see you, i don't really care if your bro is creeping on us.  
TG: cool  
TG: same  
TG: so were still on for this digital date  
EB: completely on!  
  
\-----  
  


Valentine's Day turned out to be quite a nice day, weather wise. It was warm enough that John only needed a light jacket to be outside, all the snow melting the week before helped a lot with that. School was a flurry of pink and red and paper hearts, and candy and couples kissing in the hallways. John was actually surprised when he found a Valentine in his locker. It'd been anonymous, but the hand writing seemed girly and it was definitely addressed to him. He had no idea girls even noticed him outside of being that smart kid. Weird.

  
He'd completely forgotten Dave had mailed him a Valentine's Day gift until he got home and opened the mailbox. The little box had red hearts drawn all over it in marker, probably in an ironic display. But it made him smile all the same, heart thumping a little more enthusiastically.  
It took all of John's self control to not open the box right away. Instead, after toeing his shoes off by the door, he practically flew up the stairs to his room. His backpack was dropped immediately, and he was turning his computer on in record time. As it booted up, he flumped back into his desk chair and turned the box in his hands.  
It was light weight, and not very big at all. Comparable to the size of a pencil case, which made him feel better. At least it wasn't a big present. Dave probably did that on purpose so John wouldn't feel as bad about not getting him anything in return.  
The monitor blinked to life, and John wasted no time at all in logging into both his Pesterchum and his Skype. The first thing he noticed was that Dave was online for Pesterchum, but not for Skype.

  
-ectoBiologist[EB] began pestering turntechGodhead[TG] at 15:47-

  
EB: hey!  
TG: sup  
EB: so, i just got a box in the mail.  
EB: i wonder what it could be.  
TG: sweet tits it actually came on time  
TG: good  
EB: yup  
TG: well egbert i have bated breath over here  
TG: open it up  
EB: nope  
TG: what  
EB: i'm not gonna open it.  
EB: not right now, at least. gonna wait and open it during our chat date.  
TG: derpbert you are the stickiest sap to ever seep from the gayest tree in the cheesey mountains  
EB: you love it.  
TG: youre damn right i do  
EB: so speaking of chat dates, why are you not on skype? c'mooon.  
EB: the suspense is actually pretty much killing me.  
TG: cool your jets bro  
TG: school like literally just got out and ive been very busy today  
EB: you actually went to school?  
TG: i am just full of surprises you have no idea  
TG: anyway i gotta actually let you go for a little bit  
TG: man has to look his best for his hot internet boyfriend  
EB: oh dave, such things you say.  
EB: ready the smuppet fainting couch, you're giving me the vapours.  
TG: i know i can be too much but try to get a hold of yourself darlin  
TG: dont want you to swoon too soon  
EB: i shall do my best  
EB: and since you're taking the time to look nice for me, i suppose i can do the same.  
TG: careful with your words egbert  
TG: youre in danger of making me feel special  
TG: but yeah ill catch you in an hour or so  
EB: kay!  
EB: ,3  
EB: whoops  
EB: <3  
TG: oh dear god

  
-turntechGodhead[TG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist[EG] at 16:18-

  
-turntechGodhead[TG] began pestering ectoBiologist[EG] at 16:18-

  
TG: <3  
EB: hehehe

TG: shut it

  
-turntechGodhead[TG] is now an idle chum! 16:19-

  
\-----  
  


John took full advantage of the hour or so, since he had it. Now that Dave mentioned it, he kind of did want to look nice for their date, even though it'd just be over webcam. Just because they were states away, didn't make this any less special. So he showered, and attempted to fix his hair (although he knew it would just take on a mind of it's own later). Sometime during his dig in the closet for a nice pair of jeans he heard his father come home. And sure as he was pulling his favorite sweater vest over his head (the blue and green one that Rose made him for Christmas), good old dad popped his head in through John's bedroom door.

  
"Are you going out, son?"

  
"Nope!" he smoothed the sweater vest down neatly, and smiled at his dad whilst beginning to roll the sleeves of his pale yellow button-up, up to his elbows. "Just wanted to look nice tonight," John kind of blushed as he said it, looking shyly away from his dad's face. Because he knew what expression he was getting. Something akin to 'son, I could not be more proud of you than I am right now'.

  
"Well, alright," his dad said instead. "I'll be leaving you to your own designs tonight, gotta get to that office Valentine's Day party. But I made you some cupcakes this morning, they're down in the kitchen on the table if you get hungry."

  
"Thanks, dad," out of respect of the holiday, John only grimaced a little. But he did shuffle over to give his old man a hug, burying his face against the familiar scent of tobacco and sugar. "I love you."

  
"I love you, too, son," his father hugged him back just as warmly, placing a fatherly kiss to the top of his head. When they pulled away, he ruffled his hair. "I do hope you have fun tonight."

  
"I will," John chuckled, although the smile his father gave him afterwards was a little oddly knowing. But he didn't think on it.

  
"And tell Dave he'd better behave as a gentleman," John's dad said as he finally left the room. John turned a little pink and laughed, shaking his head at his silly father.

Honestly, it was just a video chat date, what did his father possibley think Dave could do to be ungentlemanly?

  
After fixing his hair once more, John sat down at his computer chair and checked his Skype. Dave was still offline. Eugh. But it gave him the oppprtunity to send both Rose and Jade Happy Valentine's Day messages, and little platonic text hearts. Jade sent him back all sorts of hearts and smiling faces and ehugs and ekisses for her 'favorite brother in the whole wide universe!'. John laughed and decided not to point out that he was her only brother in the whole wide universe, because the sentiment still made him happy. Even Rose sent back a well-worded prose on how happy it made her that John took the time to wish her well despite how she knew he could be spending that time with his 'significant other', she even included some platonic hearts of her own and wished him a fun night.  
After that, though, he sat and stared at the little box, waiting patiently on his desk to be opened just as John waited (perhaps not so) patiently for his friggin' boyfriend to get back online.

  
The ping of pesterchum made him perk in his seat.

  
-turntechGodhead[TG] began pesting ectoBiologist[EB] at 17:04-

  
TG: alright this is just plain ridic bro  
EB: there you are! why aren't you on skype yet?  
TG: hey its not from a lack of trying  
TG: its my bro  
TG: being a douche again  
EB: eugh, what's he doing now?  
TG: i straight up told him that he owed letting me use his computer for this date  
TG: i made it very clear after he broke my webcam  
TG: but here i stand  
TG: and his monitor is no where in sight  
EB: what?  
EB: he...took his monitor? so you couldn't use his computer?  
TG: that would appear to be the case yes  
EB: wh  
EB: how could he  
EB: EUGH!!!!!!!!  
TG: woah egbert careful with those shoutpoles  
TG: you might hurt someone  
EB: what, is he going to make you strife for the right to have this date with me?  
EB: what kind of  
EB: no, no that's it.  
EB: dave, give me your brother's handle.  
TG: um  
TG: what  
EB: if he wants a strife, i'll give him a goddamn piece of my mind!  
TG: wow  
TG: no egbert  
TG: i cant let you do that  
TG: if you textually smack my bro around youll just make him like you  
TG: then he will never leave you alone  
TG: and the next thing you know youll be getting smuppets in the mail  
TG: smuppets that are supposed to look like you and him  
TG: and theyll be permenantly sewn into naughty positions  
TG: and then i will be forced to kill him because youre my boyfriend godammit  
TG: is that what you want to see happen  
TG: two striders duking it out to the death over you  
EB: okay, okay, dave, i get it.  
EB: i'm...calmer now.  
TG: good  
TG: angry is unbecoming on you  
EB: so what are we gonna do?  
TG: tonight?  
EB: yeah  
TG: i have a few ideas  
TG: we can start with this  
  
John frowned at his screen when nothing more was typed. In fact, he was in the middle of typing up an inquiry as to what, when the pleasent chime of his front door bell echoed up into his room.  
  
EB: um, brb, there's someone at the door?  
  
John pushed away from his desk and made his way downstairs just as the doorbell was rung again. "Jeez, m'coming," he mumbled to himself. Before he pulled the door open, though, he put on his best and most charming smile.

  
"Ye-"

  
Of all the things John could have expected when he opened the door, a face-full of red roses was definitlely not on the list. It was no where near the list, it was waving to the list from across the Loch Ness. Because standing right there, holding the bouqet of roses, was a tall, very familiar blond.

And in the reflection of those dark shades, John could see his own wide-eyed startled expression.

  
"...Dave?"

  
A smirk twisted the blond's lips before they parted to let out that smooth, Texan twang, "sup, babe."


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which Dave Strider woos the heck out of his boyfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. Very late for v-day, but all sorts of done. Sorry if the ending feels abrupt.

It was times like these that Dave Strider really wished it was not socially strange to just walk around with a camera attached to your face. Because the expression on John Egbert's face was something he never wanted to forget. Ever. It made the very edges of his smirk tilt more into 'smile' zone. And he let it.  
The teen in front of him seemed to be struck momentarily speechless, too. A feat Dave was proud to achieve.

  
"Well, are you gonna leave yer hot date waitin' on the porch all night, or are you gonna invite me in?" the hand holding the roses dropped to the side, and just in time, too. It took all of three seconds for his words to snap John out of his daze, and about .5 seconds for him to light up like a fucking lightbulb and pretty much crash into Dave's chest.

  
"Ohmygodyou'reactuallyHERE!"

  
The words were muffled against his shoulder, but it couldn't muffle the excitment and surprise in them. So Dave permitted a chuckle and wrapped his arms around the teen's back in return. "M'actually, here."

  
"Why are you here? How?! No, wait, god, I really don't care," John pulled his face out of the blond's shoulder long enough to slip his arms around his neck, leaning up on his toes so their lips could meet. Although it really wasn't as graceful as it sounded. John was so eagerly excited that he nearly smashed their heads together. Their respective glasses clicked against one another as they pressed into the bridges of their noses uncomfortably. And it was so much more perfect than Dave remembered, because John's mouth was soft and so very warm, and he could feel him smiling.

  
Suddenly, the last couple of weeks of pining, aching for exactly this just dissolved as if they'd never happened. As if they'd never been apart.

  
He made an involuntary sound in the back of his throat, a content sort of noise, and he didn't even care. Instead, Dave just leaned down a little more to wrap his arms tightly about his boyfriend's waist and, holding him firmly against himself, lifted the teen off his feet. John just laughed and popped his feet up as Dave shuffled them in through the door, toeing it closed behind them.

  
Inside the entrance hall, Dave placed John back on his own feet and they finally pulled apart. Not far apart, but apart enough to breath properly.

  
"These are for you, by the way," Dave once again offered the roses, and relished the way his boyfriend's face burned at the sight of them, even though the snorted.

  
"Thanks," John did smile as he took them, though, soft and shy and happy. And for the second, and not the last he was sure, time that afternoon, Dave wished he could take a picture. And that happy smile was next turned on him, and he didn't miss the way those bright blue eyes looked him up and down. John again snorted softly, but clearly chose not to comment on the sheer amount of pink Dave was wearing. Although it was supposed to be ironic, sure, Dave was actually kind of feelin' the bowtie, so he was thankful.

  
"You know, this is a huge breach of our anti-gift agreement," John finally said, as he turned towards the kitchen, Dave following casually with his hands in his pockets.

  
"Yer complainin'?"

  
"Hell no." Dave watched him find a vase in one of the cabinets, fill it up with water and put the roses in it. "But how did you even get here?"

  
Dave snorted, "drove."

  
"From Texas, in your shitty car?"

  
"Mhm," in hindsight, it probably hadn't been the best idea, but Dave couldn't be bothered to stop and worry about whether or not his car would even get him home again. Hell, he wouldn't care if it didn't, because then he could just stay here with John.

  
"You skipped school, too, didn't you?"

  
"Hey, don't get yer panties in a twist. Bro got me excused."

  
"How?" John turned back to him with the vase in his hands, and Dave leaned away from the table to follow him up to his room. "What school accepts going to surprise your boyfriend for Valentine's Day as an excuse to miss class?"

  
"I said he got me excused, never said he told the truth."

  
The sound of John's chuckle echoed in the upstairs hall as they made their way to the teen's room. It had changed a lot since they were kids, although the number of movie posters was still gratuous. Dave waited until John had placed the vase safely on his desk before he moved up behind him, his arms snaked about his waist, and he ducked his head to kiss the side of his neck. John jumped lightly in surprise, but very quickly recovered and leaned back against his chest.

  
"You are the most awesome boyfriend in the history of ever."

  
Dave felt the corners of his mouth twitch, threatening a grin of Egbert proportions. But he resisted to say instead, "I wouldn't speak too soon, you haven't even opened the box I sent you."

  
"Oh yeah!"

  
He let the teen twist out of his grasp, and turned to lean cooly against the desk. John had snatched the box from where ever it had been sitting and picked at the tape.

  
"Two presents, you unfair butt."

  
"What about yer butt?" Dave smirked.

  
"I said 'touch it'."

  
"Cool," his fingers hooked into the teen's belt loops, pulling to lean back against his again. And then he let his hands rest on his hips, thumbs peeking up under knit fabric. "Rockin' the sweater vest, I see."

  
"You think it's hot." He slid his chin over John's shoulder to watch him peel the tape away.

  
"They look pretty damn fine on you, I'll give you that."

  
John was quick about ripping all the brown paper off of the box. Nothing special about the box, just your average everyday pregnancy test box.  
"Whut?"

  
"Keep going."

  
From inside the box, pink and red glitter hearts poured out into John's hand, and then two paper rectangles. John shook them free of glitter and stared for a moment.  
"....Movie tickets?"

  
"You wanted to go to that double feature tonight, right?"

  
An elbow nudged his ribs when John turned in his arms, brows drawn down in confusion. "But, how did you-...how would you even-"

  
"I believe what you're supposed to be sayin' is 'Dave, you delectable man-meat, you are literally the greatest boyfriend in the history of boyfriends and I am the luckiest fuckin' twink on earth'."

  
John looked at the tickets again, and slowly his furrowed brow smoothed, cheeks pinkening. Dave certainly didn't peep when their mouths were crushed together again, nope, he totally saw that coming. "I fucking love you."

  
But he did smile back at that, hands sliding up under the sweater vest, "I love you, too, ya derp."

  
He only got one more kiss before John was pulling back away from him, excitedly pushing his feet into some shoes. "What, hey, no Egbert, kissin' does not require shoes."

  
"But going to the movies generally does. Come on, we're gonna be late!"

 

 

 

When they arrived at the theatre, it was fairly swarmed with young and old couples alike. Dave was very unashamed of the fact that his fingers were curled with his boyfriend's. Thankfully, John was apparently just as unashamed, and was walking close as he chattered away excitedly. And they both ignored any looks they got, because let's be honest here, with the way Dave was dressed and the way he couldn't keep his hands off of John's waist when they were at the concessions stand, and the way John would giggle like a school girl before a kiss, they looked pretty damn gay. Which Dave was sure was probably a surprise to all of John's schoolmates. But neither of them gave a single glorious fuck.

  
The movies themselves were awful chick flicks that Dave would not ever be able to sit through alone. Luckily, he had the distraction of watching John watch the movies. Watch his bright blue eyes, the cute slope of his button nose, lips that were eternally soft from frequent chapstick use. It looked as though he'd actually tried to style his hair, but it was still a bit messy. And damn that sweater vest did look hot on him, thank you Rose.  
God, he'd missed him.

  
They talked online every day, sure, and saw each other several times during the year (spring break, three weeks in the summer, then Christmas and New Years), and it had been fine because they knew it wasn't going to last forever. They'd graduate soon, and move in together. But ever since they all left Rose's house this year after New Years, ever since Dave had to kiss his boyfriend goodbye in the airport terminal, their flights bound for two different states, he'd ached for him.  
Spring break was actually approaching soon, but he hadn't been able to take it anymore. He needed to be able to hold John in his arms, feel that smile against his lips and skin. He just needed to be with him. It had been agonizing. Thank god Bro had noticed.

  
Slightly chilled fingers slipped into his own and Dave glanced down at them. He smiled. This was real, they were actually here together, even if only for a weekend. Dave brought his hand up to kiss the cool fingers and one of them tweaked his nose, so he nipped it.

This led to the arm rest between them being quietly pushed up so they could lean together, and the blond rubbed his nose on a soft cheek.

  
"Nice sideburns," he murmured into his ear.

  
"Thanks," John chuckled softly, "I've been working on them."

  
"Mm, they're sexy."

  
"Not as sexy as yours, though," John's free hand raised gently scratch at the dark blond scruff that lined his boyfriend's jaw.

  
"What can I say? Got blessed with sexy genetics," he leaned into the touch. John laughed lightly, earning a shoosh from above. They were apparently talking during an emotional turning point in the film. So they kept their whispers as quiet as they could through the rest of it.

 

During the intermission, Dave kicked John's ass in DDR and then nudged him behind a film display because he'd waited just about as long as he could, and sloppy make-outs time was now. There were fingers tugging at his hair, a hot, pliable tongue in his mouth, and a surprisingly squishy bum in his hand when a theatre worker found them and asked them to leave. John stammered embarressed apologies, Dave just fixed his glasses that had gone askew on his face.  
They'd missed the start of the second film anyway.

 

 

 

The sun had set by the time thet reached John's house, and Dave was shivering. Damn Washington weather. It was already tee season down in Houstan, but here Dave felt like he needed a scarf and gloves. He grabbed his bag out of his car on their way inside, and relished the warmth.

  
"So, how long are you staying?" John asked later that night, after their romantic dinner of pizza rolls and chips, and their romantic round of Mortal Kombat (in which John regained his mangrit by kicking Dave's ass spectacularly).

  
Dave was unbuttoning the pink pin-stripe shirt he'd been wearing under the purple vest, but he paused before peeling it away. "Gotta leave Monday morning. Hafta go to school on Tuesday."

  
John nodded, sitting on his bed, already in his own pyjamas (that looked suspiciously like his god-tier outfit, minus the hood).

  
"But that means you get me for two whole days, an' we can do whatever yer derpy heart desires."

  
"Yeah," John smiled at that, the lip he'd been biting popping out from between his teeth. "Hey, we could even go to-..what the hell, Dave?"

  
"Huh?"

  
John didn't even bother to cover his mouth as he laughed at the shirt the blond had just pulled on over his head to sleep in. Dave looked down at it himself. It was a fuschia colored v-neck tee, on the front was a heart design and words that read 'keep calm and wreck shit'.

  
He shrugged, "Idk. Got most of these clothes from my bro. Was weird, all I did was mention wanting to wear somethin' pink. It's like he's been walkin' around with his entire teenage years wardrobe just waitin' for someone to mention wanting to wear pink so he could expell it from his sylladex and drown you in pastels. I didn't ask." Dave said all this while pulling some black sleep pants up on his hips because damn if it wasn't starting to feel chilly in the house, too.

  
He flopped down on the bed next to the Egbert, gracelessly, and just laying there like a sack of bones. He was pretty damn tired, actually. He had just driven half way across the states without stopping for naught but gas and food. That takes it out of you.

  
The bed shifting under him turned into John shifting down next to him, blankets being pulled up. Still chilled fingers touched his cheek, trailing up to snag the corner of his shades and pull them off and away. But they came back after that, gently scratching into his side burn again. Dave sighed in contentment.

  
"I really missed you," he murmured into the quiet of the room, and John was cuddling up closer to his side (thank god, he was so warm).

  
"I really missed you, too," the words were breathed against his jaw, breath tickling along his throat.

  
Dave opened his eyes and turned his head down, arm snaking about the teen next to him. John's oh-so blue eyes smiled back at him in the dim of the room, and this time when they kissed, it was perfect.

 

**Author's Note:**

> oh Dave. you hopeless romantic, you.  
> also...how do I...make the colors?


End file.
